Ticks are a constant worry for homeowners with pets, especially in more rural areas. Pest control in Mobile is about knowing the pests you may have to deal with and the effective methods of preventing them from becoming a bigger problem. If you’re concerned about natural tick prevention, here’s some helpful information from the service team members at Ensec Pest & Lawn.
How Common Ticks Get Around
The most common ticks, Lone star ticks and Deer ticks, typically get around by hitchhiking. Hitchhiking insects climb or leap onto much larger animals passing by them to reach their destinations, sometimes staying on the animal they climbed onto to begin with. For ticks, this means climbing onto tall grass and bushes, holding on with their back legs, and reaching out to grab onto the fur, skin, or clothing of passersby.
These ticks will then find places to hide until they can find a suitable source of food. From there, they will either latch onto the host they’ve used as a ride, or onto the next most suitable subject. Once they’ve found a suitable host, the tick bites the host and begins siphoning fluids from the animal.
The Dangers Fleas And Ticks Bring To Your Property
Both fleas and ticks can be dangerous to your home and family, as they can be carriers of dangerous diseases. Fleas can be considered responsible for the spreading of the Black Plague that devastated Europe, Asia, and Africa in the 14th century. However, while the Black Plague isn’t common anymore the diseases caused by ticks can be just as devastating if left unchecked.
Deer ticks, also called Blacklegged ticks, are a vector species for a disease that has made many people afraid of ticks. As a vector for lyme disease in ticks, they’ve spread this sickness to many hosts in rural areas of the United States. Lyme disease can affect the entire body, starting with the skin and eventually spreading to the joints, heart, and nervous system if left untreated.
Lone star ticks, while not as well-known as deer ticks, are a vector species for similarly frightening diseases. These ticks are linked as vectors for tularemia, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, and Southern tick-associated rash illness or STARI. Any one of these harmful diseases can be life-threatening if left untreated, so be sure to get yourself checked if you think you’ve been bitten by either of these ticks.
How To Naturally Make Your Property Less Appealing To Fleas And Ticks
Now that you know the dangers they bring to your home, you’re probably wondering if there’s anything you can do to prevent fleas and ticks from spreading disease to your family. The best solution is to contact a tick control specialist to remove an infestation, but there are some measures to take to prevent ticks and fleas from infesting in the first place.
- Cut tall grass and trim bushes on your property regularly, especially around your home and at the edge of your lawn. This will reduce the number of hiding places as well as spots fleas and ticks can grab onto your clothes.
- Place a barrier at least 3 feet in width made of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas as well as around patios and play equipment. This will restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
- Remove any old furniture, mattresses, or trash from your yard that may give ticks a place to hide.
- Stack wood neatly and in a dry area away from your home, this will reduce rodent populations which will in turn reduce fleas and ticks as they will have less food sources.
The Best Way To Keep Ticks Away From Your Yard
The best way to get rid of ticks and keep them away from your yard is to contact pest control specialists. By scheduling regular inspections of your home, pest control specialists can identify, isolate, and neutralize problem areas of your property where fleas and ticks may be spreading from. Pest control specialists have access to equipment and knowledge that isn’t easily available to the average consumer, giving them an edge over the pests that plague your property.
Because of their exceptional knowledge and equipment, pest control services are able to handle infestations and invaders that would otherwise risk your health and safety. It’s always more cost-effective to prevent a mistake than it is to fix one, so don’t risk your family’s, or your property’s, safety. Contact the service team members at Ensec Pest & Lawn today to learn more about our pest control services in Mobile.